Football time is upon us

Published: Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 2:54 p.m.

These are the words that we all became accustomed to hearing each fall when Hank Williams Jr. serenaded us at the opening of “Monday Night Football.”

That phrase inevitably starts rattling around in my consciousness once the calendar turns from July to August.

Prior to this year, my rooting interests consisted of the New Orleans Saints and Nicholls State University, but this year has brought with it a welcome change in the form of my son’s new Bantam football team — the Thibodaux Vikings.

Yep, that’s right. My 7-year-old son, Griffin, is old enough to suit up and play football.

Leading up to his first practice, Griffin seemed excited about what awaited him.

The first test would come on one of the hottest days of the year at Hero’s Park in Thibodaux.

As we drove up to practice we were greeted by loads of fellow parents and 7- to 12-year-old children.

My son looked shell-shocked as would any child stepping in to a new, unfamiliar environment.

As soon as he was placed in a line, the stretching began. After the stretching the kids, both young and old, were broken into small groups and led to one of five stations that worked on their fundamentals.

The well-structured practice allowed the kids to learn from not only the coaches, but the older guys who knew the ropes already.

Predictably, Griffin struggled at times, but more than held his own despite the heat.

What I saw was a kid being tested, encouraged, pushed and applauded when he did something good.

This ladies and gentlemen is what makes football such a great sport.

Sometimes our view gets clouded when we hear about scandals on the college and pro level, but at its core you can see the excellent life lessons it teaches as plain as day when you see a collection of determined kids working toward getting themselves and others around them better on every drill.

As the night dragged on I was worried Griffin wouldn’t have a chance to get a crack at the station I knew he’d enjoy most — the tackling dummy.

I fortunately was wrong. Griffin had a huge smile as he approached the drill. What’s better is he listened to the coach’s instructions and successfully tackled the dummy with ease.

As Griffin exited the field with sweat covering his shirt, face and hair, there was a look of a kid that truly found something he likes.

In the next few weeks, determinations will be made on where he plays and how often he plays, but as long as he’s enjoying himself and building good, positive relationships with his teammates and coaches, none of that really matters to me.

My only hope is he gets better one drill at a time and has fun as he and the other boys push each other to be their best on, and off, the field.

<p>Are you ready for some football?</p><p>These are the words that we all became accustomed to hearing each fall when Hank Williams Jr. serenaded us at the opening of “Monday Night Football.”</p><p>That phrase inevitably starts rattling around in my consciousness once the calendar turns from July to August.</p><p>Prior to this year, my rooting interests consisted of the New Orleans Saints and Nicholls State University, but this year has brought with it a welcome change in the form of my son's new Bantam football team — the Thibodaux Vikings.</p><p>Yep, that's right. My 7-year-old son, Griffin, is old enough to suit up and play football.</p><p>Leading up to his first practice, Griffin seemed excited about what awaited him.</p><p>The first test would come on one of the hottest days of the year at Hero's Park in Thibodaux.</p><p>As we drove up to practice we were greeted by loads of fellow parents and 7- to 12-year-old children.</p><p>My son looked shell-shocked as would any child stepping in to a new, unfamiliar environment. </p><p>As soon as he was placed in a line, the stretching began. After the stretching the kids, both young and old, were broken into small groups and led to one of five stations that worked on their fundamentals.</p><p>The well-structured practice allowed the kids to learn from not only the coaches, but the older guys who knew the ropes already.</p><p>Predictably, Griffin struggled at times, but more than held his own despite the heat.</p><p>What I saw was a kid being tested, encouraged, pushed and applauded when he did something good.</p><p>This ladies and gentlemen is what makes football such a great sport.</p><p>Sometimes our view gets clouded when we hear about scandals on the college and pro level, but at its core you can see the excellent life lessons it teaches as plain as day when you see a collection of determined kids working toward getting themselves and others around them better on every drill.</p><p>As the night dragged on I was worried Griffin wouldn't have a chance to get a crack at the station I knew he'd enjoy most — the tackling dummy.</p><p>I fortunately was wrong. Griffin had a huge smile as he approached the drill. What's better is he listened to the coach's instructions and successfully tackled the dummy with ease.</p><p>As Griffin exited the field with sweat covering his shirt, face and hair, there was a look of a kid that truly found something he likes.</p><p>In the next few weeks, determinations will be made on where he plays and how often he plays, but as long as he's enjoying himself and building good, positive relationships with his teammates and coaches, none of that really matters to me.</p><p>My only hope is he gets better one drill at a time and has fun as he and the other boys push each other to be their best on, and off, the field.</p>